Russian standoff mirrors crisis on eve of 'World War I '

London, Aug 27 : The situation in Russia is reflective of the crisis on the eve of World War I according to Nato ambassador, Dmitry Rogozin.

According to the Mirror, Rogozin said that the current atmosphere reminded him of the situation in Europe in 1914.

The Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has stated "We're not afraid of anything, including the prospect of a Cold War," following the Kremlin's declaration of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as sovereign countries

Following Medvedev's declaration, the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili accused the Kremlin of annexing a large slice of his country's territory.

The Russian declaration was "illegal" and "an attempt to change Europe's borders by force," said the Georgian President in an address to the nation.

The West's reaction to Russia's latest move was hostile, even if few were surprised that the Kremlin was not prepared to pull back its troops in accordance with the ceasefire brokered by France two weeks ago.

The deal halted a short, brutal war between the two states, specifying that Russia must return its troops to the positions they held at the war's outset on Aug 7.

Earlier this month, Russia had sent troops deep into Georgian territory to crush Saakashvili's efforts to retake the separatist enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

ANI